Atlas Wall CI board is a division of Atlas Roofing Corporation. For more than 20 years, Atlas Roofing has been a market leader in the manufacture of polyisocyanurate insulation for low slope roof applications. AtlasWall CI Board manufactures wall products such as EnergyShield®, EnergyShield® PRO, EnergyShield® PRO2, and Rboard® in any one of eight polyisocyanurate insulation plants in the U.S. and Canada.

How to Correctly Specify Polyiso Wall Insulation

Polyisocyanurate wall insulation falls under ASTM C1289 which sets forth materials properties in Type, Class, and Grade. It is important to understand this ASTM standard to correctly specify the materials for your project. Verify the architect’s design requirements to correctly and accurately specify Type, Class, and Grade of the polyisocyanurate foam board for your project’s exterior wall system. Also, any competitive products specified must match the same Type, Class, and Grade to meet design requirements and ensure accurate bidding.

Type - Manufacturers produce polyisocyanurate with a variety of facer materials. Wall polyisocyanurate products are typically either foil faced or coated glass mat faced. Foil facings are classified as Type I (“Type One”) whereas coated glass mat facings are Type II (“Type Two”).

Class - Refers to the type of materials used in the core. Class 1 is typical for polyisocyanurate wall insulation and most common. Class 2 adds fiberglass fibers to the core and enhances fire resistance properties.

Grade - Grade refers to density measured in psi. There are three Grades: Grade 1 at 16 psi, Grade 2 at 20 psi and Grade 3 at 25 psi.

An abbreviated example specification section would resemble:

“Foil Faced Polyisocyanurate Rigid Foam Board Insulation, ASTM C1289, Type I, Class 2, Grade 3.”

EnergyShield®

EnergyShield® is ASTM C1289, Type I, Class 1 comprosed of a closed cell polyisocyanurate (polyiso) foam core, faced with a reflective foil facer on the front and a non-reflective, red acrylic-coated facer on the back. EnergyShield combines high polyiso R-value, durable foil facers, and water resistive attributes in a high performance rigid insulation board. EnergyShield is suitable for a variety of continuous insulation (CI) applications.

EnergyShield helps exteriors meet or exceed the Model Energy Code (ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1-2010). It can be configured as part of a complete whole building air barrier system. When the wall insulation board joints are properly sealed with a self-adhering flashing grade tape as listed in ICC-ES ESR 1375, the EnergyShield envelope can also function as a weather-resistive barrier (WRB).

EnergyShield® PRO

Atlas EnergyShield® PRO is ASTM C 1289 Type I, Class 1 exterior wall insulation composed of a Class A fire rated closed cell polyiso foam core faced with an embossed white acrylic-coated aluminum foil facer on the front and a reflective foil facer on the back. EnergyShield PRO combines high polyiso R-value, Class A durable aluminum facers, and water resistive barrier attributes in a high performance rigid foam insulation board.

Polyiso wall insulation can be used in almost all types of wall systems without the need for a thermal barrier. EnergyShield PRO complies with NFPA 285 testing (consult Atlas for an extensive list of approved assemblies) and offers a flame spread of less than 25 as tested per E84 standards.

EnergyShield® PRO2

Atlas EnergyShield® PRO2 is ASTM C 1289 Type I, Class 2 exterior wall insulation composed of a Class A fire rated closed cell glass reinforced polyiso foam core faced with an embossed white acrylic-coated aluminum foil facer on the front and a reflective foil facer on the back. EnergyShield PRO2 combines high polyiso R-value, Class A durable aluminum facers, and water resistive barrier attributes in a high performance rigid foam insulation board.

Polyiso wall insulation can be used in almost all types of wall systems without the need for a thermal barrier. EnergyShield PRO2 complies with NFPA 285 testing (consult Atlas for an extensive list of approved assemblies) and offers a flame spread of less than 25 as tested per E84 standards.

Rboard®

Rboard® is a ASTM C1289, Type II, Class 1 composed of a closed cell polyisocyanurate (polyiso) foam core, faced with a non-reflective coated glass-mat facer on both sides. Rboard combines high polyiso R-value, enhanced durability from two coated glass-mat facers, and water resistive attributes in a high performance rigid insulation board. Rboard is suitable for a variety of continuous insulation (CI) applications.

The use of Rboard® can be considered a WRB assembly and potentially part of an air barrier assembly. In these types of installations it is required to tape or seal all joints between boards and at penetrations and openings. Rboard® glass-mat facers are compatible with most standard joint fillers, sealants and adhesives.